Cuba's human rights issues will get greater focus from CARICOM with US changes - Jamaica

The Jamaican Government says CARICOM, will be able to more forcefully engage with Cuba on addressing human rights issues as a result of yesterday’s historic announcement by the US president.

President Barack Obama says the US will be normalising economic and diplomatic ties with Cuba, adding that his country’s approach to Cuba was outdated.

The US trade embargo, imposed on Cuba, remains as the Congress, which approved it, will have to vote that it be removed.

Some US politicians have condemned Obama’s actions, arguing that the communist state should first have taken steps to improve its human rights record and embrace the rights of it citizens.

And speaking on RJR’s Beyond the Headlines yesterday, Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, A.J. Nicholson said human rights issues will receive greater attention at the CARICOM level as a result of the expected changes.

Pressed by programme host Dionne Jackson Miller, Senator Nicholson admitted CARICOM was not forceful on human rights issues because it did not want to jeopardise the relationships between the regional group and Cuba.

According to him, the issues will now be given greater attention.

All official media in Cuba are owned and controlled by the Government.

And according to Amnesty International, protestors are regularly arrested and detained without trial.